The First Coast contribution to this week's NFL Draft is largely concentrated in one area.

The backfield.

Led by Kansas State workhorse running back Daniel Thomas, who starred at Hilliard, there is a trio of backs that are likely to have an NFL home when the draft concludes on Saturday.

Clemson running back Jamie Harper is among the three, three years removed from a standout career at Trinity Christian.

Running backs need a lead blocker and the area produced a good one in Georgia fullback Shaun Chapas, a former Bolles standout.

There are other area players hoping to be selected in the later rounds in Georgia Tech cornerback Mario Butler and Syracuse safety Mike Holmes, who played at Nease and Mandarin, respectively.

Still, the three best bets to be drafted are the stable of backs.

There's even a remote possibility that a franchise could draft an All-First Coast backfield over the course of the three-day draft. Each player is expected to go in a different round of the draft.

Thomas will almost certainly be the first area player off the board. The 6-foot, 230-pound Thomas is considered by virtually every analyst to be one of the top five backs in the draft.

ESPN ranks him as the 66th-best overall prospect available.

In his two seasons at Kansas State, Thomas rushed for 2,850 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Before arriving at Kansas State, Thomas played quarterback at Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Most projections have Thomas being selected during Friday's portion of the draft, when the second and third rounds are held.

"My visit to Cincinnati really went well," Thomas said. "I could see myself there. I also got a strong feeling from Miami and Denver."

The 23-year-old Thomas will be enjoying himself this weekend. The NFL invited Thomas to be part of its draft festivities. He'll leave Thursday morning and spend three days in New York.

One thing Thomas hasn't enjoyed are the analysts critiquing him.

Thomas logged 545 carries over the past two years, which some teams might consider too much of a pounding. He logged 298 carries this past season, which would've ranked ninth in the NFL, one carry behind Jaguars star Maurice Jones-Drew.

Thomas also had issues fumbling while with the Wildcats.

"The general managers and coaches understand I've only been playing running back for two years," Thomas said. "They look at the fumbling problem as something that can be corrected. They focus more on the success I had in the Big 12 [Conference]. The GMs and coaches are the ones doing the drafting, so I don't worry about blogs or critics."

While Thomas' workload was heavy in college, Harper's was considerably lighter.

The 5-foot-11, 233-pound Harper left Clemson in his first year of draft eligibility. Harper finished his career with 311 carries, gaining 1,311 yards with 12 touchdowns.

Most analysts consider Harper to be among the top 25-30 backs in the draft and project him as a late-round selection.

"I think there are definitely teams that like that fact I don't have a lot of mileage," Harper said. "I think I opened some eyes at my pro day and since then, everything's been looking up."

Chapas is the highest-ranked player at his position among the three. The problem, however, is that fullbacks are not in great demand in the NFL compared to other positions.

The 6-foot-2, 247-pound Chapas is considered one of the top fullbacks in the draft. ESPN lists him as the second best.

Chapas, who turns 23 on May 2, recorded 22 career starts for the Bulldogs.

"I've had interviews with 20 teams and am excited about this opportunity," Chapas said. "I've gotten a lot of positive feedback. Anywhere I go, I'll be all for it."